Don't Underestimate the Little People (Evy Story 12)
by quietandsneaky
Summary: New Evy story! Evy is kidnapped by a demon who tries to convince her that her family doesn't want her anymore. *Please note-I'm not crazy about the title on this one. Any suggestions for changes are accepted :)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The characters of Supernatural do not belong to me. The original character of Evelyn Winchester does. The first line of the story comes from Dr. Seuss' book "Green Eggs and Ham". This disclaimer applies to all chapters.**

 **Summary: Evy's back! So this story came out of my last one, Year by Year. In it, Evy is kidnapped by a demon who tries to convince her that her family doesn't want her anymore.**

 **A/N: This is my fourth multi-chapter Evy story, and my twelfth in total. This story kind of makes sense if you haven't read any of my others, but it will become so much clearer if you've at least read my first Evy story, Sensitive Souls are the Strongest.**

 **I rated this story T because of some intense emotional scenes in it. There's no outright physical harm done to Evy, but it's still pretty intense (I think, anyway). This story isn't really as lighthearted as most of the others. It's also my first attempt to write a rescue story involving Sam, Dean, John, and Bobby with my own original action in it.**

 **I hope everyone's doing well, and I hope you enjoy!**

"Thank you, thank you, Sam-I-Am!"

Evy's small voice rang through the motel room. She was sitting in Sam's lap, reading the book he had given her, and looked up into his face when she was done. Sam wasn't looking directly at her, and when he didn't say anything at first, she got a little impatient.

"How was that, Sammy?"

Sam looked down at Evy, who was waiting for him to say something. He had heard her finish the book, but had been busy glaring at his father and brother, who were at the motel room table discussing their current hunt. Sam hated it when they discussed hunts in Evy's earshot. She tended to have nightmares when they did that, and it was Sam who got woken up in the middle of the night when that happened. Sam was doing everything he could to distract her. He wished he could take her for a walk somewhere, but John had refused to let him; the demon they were hunting could make himself invisible, and John didn't want to take the chance. But apparently Evy had been really into the book, because she hadn't stopped reading at all in the last thirty minutes. Maybe she really hadn't heard what John and Dean were talking about.

"That was perfect, Cricket." Sam said. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You're the best reader I've ever met."

"Really?" Evy asked, positively beaming with joy. She loved making Sam proud of her.

"Really." Sam assured her. He glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's bedtime though."

Evy scrunched her face up in a way that made Sam have to fight a laugh. "Do I have to?"

"Yes." Sam said simply. "Come on. Go get your PJs."

"Okay, Sammy." She said, jumping off the bed.

Sam gave her a bath and helped her change into her pajamas. He laid her down on the rollaway bed and tickled her a little, before reminding her again that it was time to go to sleep. Evy decided to try and put a little more effort into staying up.

"Will you read to me, Sammy?"

Sam laughed; Evy surely was persistent. "We just spent an hour and a half reading."

"But I read to you. It's your turn now." Evy said.

"Nice try, Cricket." Sam said. When Evy yawned, he got an idea. "I will sing to you if you want."

"Okay!" Evy said. She realized something was missing. "I need Squish though."

Sam grabbed the old, battered cat off the big bed and handed him to Evy. She smiled when she got Squish in her arms and gave him a hug, as she did every night. She turned over on her side, still clutching Squish. Sam lifted the back of her pajama shirt up and started gently scratching her back.

"Don't you feel it growing day by day, people getting ready for the news…."

Before Sam had finished the song for the second time, Evy was sleeping peacefully. When she fell asleep, Sammy was scratching her back and singing to her. She had heard Daddy and Dean talking at the table, but she wasn't worried. They were in the room with her, and Sammy was there too. She was safe and nothing could get to her. Just after she had drifted off to sleep, Sam pulled her blanket up closer to her chest and kissed her cheek.

"Good night, Cricket. Sammy loves you."

Just as Sam was standing up to start getting ready for bed himself, there was a knock at the door. Sam cringed; he didn't want Evy waking up. He stayed close to the bed, in case he had to keep her quiet. John kept a hand on his gun as he answered the door. The front desk manager stood there, an average looking guy that Sam had not really paid attention to earlier in the night when John had checked in. Now, however, something bothered Sam about him. He couldn't quite place his finger on what exactly that was, but he kept Evy in his eyeline the entire time.

"Hi, Mr. Adams. Sorry to bother you. We've been getting complaints from some other rooms about the heat not working. I just wanted to make sure you guys were okay."

John relaxed a bit, but did not move from the door. "Yes, we're fine. Thank you."

"Alright. You guys have a good night."

"You too." John said as he closed the door. "Is she still asleep?" he asked Sam.

Sam glanced at Evy, who was still sleeping blissfully quietly. "I guess so." he said, surprised.

"Alright. Time for you to go to bed too, Sam." John said.

"Okay, Dad."

Sam walked into the bathroom to get a shower before going to sleep. But there was a pit forming in his stomach. Something wasn't right about the desk manager. He was up to something. Sam wanted to tell his dad and Dean about his feeling, but they both tended to dismiss Sam if he didn't have concrete proof to offer. Sam decided instead to just check on Evy one more time before going to sleep.

Sam realized something else that began to nag at him. Evy hadn't moved at all since she went to sleep. She tended to squeeze Squish every few seconds when she was asleep, and Sam had learned to look for that when checking on her at night. He quickly showered and came out, heading over to the rollaway bed. There Evy was, a small lump in the middle of the mattress. Sam pulled her blanket back a little so he could kiss her one more time before he went to sleep. But as soon as Sam pulled the blanket away, it went flat. Not believing his own eyes, Sam ran his hand up and down the bed three full times, his heart thumping hard in his chest in panic.

Evy wasn't there.


	2. Chapter 2

Evy woke up sputtering and coughing. She was so confused as to why she was wet that she wasn't scared. Not at first. Once she had opened her eyes, she realized that she wasn't in the motel room where she'd fallen asleep. She didn't remember Sammy picking her up and moving her, and she couldn't see or hear him either. Just as she was about to really feel scared, an unfamiliar voice spoke.

"Get up, kid."

Evy scrambled to the nearest wall. She finally got a good look around. She was in what looked to be a jail cell, with nothing but a bed inside. She had Squish, and she squeezed him to her tightly. Just outside the cell was a man she had seen before, but she couldn't quite remember where. He was looking inside at her, and she asked with a shaky voice,

"Who are you?"

"Don't worry about that." The unfamiliar man said. "First, tell me who you are."

"No." Evy said. She was trying to be brave but it was hard. "I not supposed to talk to strangers."

"Now look here, kid." The man said impatiently. "I'm not going to hurt you. Not as long as you do what we tell you."

Evy scrunched her eyes in confusion. "Who's we?" she asked.

"Uh uh. You first." He said. "Who are you?"

"I'm not telling you that." Evy insisted.

"Alright. Fine." The man said. "Let's see how much you have to say when I come back."

"You're leaving me here alone?" Evy asked quietly.

The man laughed. "What? Are you scared?" He looked Evy up and down. She looked tiny and frail, certainly no match for anything. "It's no surprise. Little baby like you."

As scared as she was, Evy immediately went on the defensive. "I'm not a baby!" she said loudly.

"Whatever, kid." The man said. "Look, just tell me who you are and I'll bring you something to eat."

Evy finally remembered where she'd seen the man before. "You were at the motel when we got our room tonight."

"Yep." He said simply.

"Where's my family?" Evy asked. "My daddy and brothers?"

The man suddenly started to smile. When Sammy smiled at her, or even Daddy or Dean, it made her feel better when she was scared. But not this time. Evy knew that, no matter what he said, the man would try to hurt her at some point. Evy squeezed Squish tighter.

"Your family asked me to take you." He told Evy. "They waited until you were asleep and begged me to do it."

She'd been trying not to cry, but Evy couldn't help it now. "That's not true!" she said, her first tears starting to slip out. "They love me. They wouldn't do that."

"Whatever, kid." He said. "I'll be back."

The man turned and walked out into another room. Evy was sniffing and crying more and more. She was scared and shaking. She wanted Sammy to pick her up and hold her, tell her that everything would be okay. She knew he hadn't let her be taken, and that he and Daddy and Dean were looking for her. But until they found her she had to be brave.

"I'm scared, Sammy." She said. "Come help me, please."

Evy wiped some more tears away, before looking down at Squish in her arms. Some of her own tears had fallen on his face, and he was still wet from when the scary man had poured water on them to wake her up. But to Evy, Squish was crying too. Evy thought of Sammy again, how he would wipe the tears from her face when she was sad or scared, and she decided to try that now for Squish.

"Don't be scared, Squish." Evy said brokenly as she wiped his face. "Sammy'll find us. I'll keep you safe till then."

Evy pulled Squish to her, wrapping him in a hug. She started crying harder, until she got an idea. She took some deep breaths to try and stop crying, then started singing to herself and to Squish.

"Don't you feel it growing, day by day, people getting ready for the news…"

Evy eventually fell asleep again, clutching Squish tightly to her, and praying hard for someone to come and help her.


	3. Chapter 3

"Dad!"

Sam was panicked, still running his hands up and down the bed. He just couldn't process Evy not being in the bed where he'd laid her down no more than twenty minutes earlier. Dean and John were looking at him, confused. Sam told them, near tears,

"Evy's not here."

"Sam, what are you talking about?" he asked. "You just put her to bed."

"Dad, look! She's not here!" Sam insisted, moving over so John could see the empty bed.

John immediately jumped into action, checking the bed the same way that Sam had just done. Dean was checking the bathroom, the closet, and both other beds. Not surprisingly, Evy was nowhere to be found. Sam was shaking.

"Dad, where could she be?"

"We'll find her, Sam." John said. He couldn't help but think to himself _shouldn't you be saying that to me?_

Sam suddenly remembered his bad feeling when the front desk manager had come to the room. He told John and Dean about it, and braced himself for a skeptical reaction. When he got the opposite from Dean, he was surprised, but when John backed him up, it nearly caused Sam to weep in relief.

"Dad, I had the same feeling." Dean said. "That was just weird to me."

"Yeah, me too." John said. "Dean, you come with me. Sam, stay here."  
"Dad!" Sam protested.  
"Sam, let me finish." John said impatiently. "Stay here and call Bobby for help. He's only a couple hours away; he should be here soon and he'll be able to help us."

Sam nodded. "Okay."

John's heart broke when he saw that Sam was near tears. He wished he had time to comfort Sam too, but every second counted right now. But he couldn't leave doing nothing, so John walked up and clapped a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Sammy, we'll find her." He said. "I know you're scared, son. But you need to keep it together, okay? She's gonna need you when we find her."

Sam nodded. "Okay, Dad."

John gave Sam a quick, curt nod, then turned and left. Dean quickly told Sam that John was right, that they'd find Evy quickly and get her back, then turned and left behind John. When the door clicked shut behind Dean, Sam started to hyperventilate. He took deep breaths to try and control his fear, but the pit that was in his stomach seemed immense and painful. All he could think about was Evy off somewhere, scared and possibly hurt. The thought that she was afraid and he couldn't be there making it better for her made his heart ache. When Sam thought he finally had a handle on his fear and could trust himself to talk to Bobby without bursting into tears, he dialed the number and said to himself,

"We're coming for you, Cricket. Hold on, baby. Wherever you are, Sammy's coming for you."

Across the parking lot, Dean was having trouble keeping up with John. For every one step Dean took, John was taking three. Dean was a little afraid that if they didn't find Evy right after talking to the front desk manager, that John would fight him-or worse. Dean decided to try and talk some sense into John before going in.

"Dad, wait!" Dean called.

John angrily turned around. "What, Dean?"

"Dad, please just listen to me for a minute. Okay?" he asked.

"Dean, we don't have time for this." John replied. "Your sister…"  
"I'm thinking of Evy, dad. Just listen." Dean said. When John didn't respond, Dena quickly got out what he wanted to say. "Just promise me that if he claims he doesn't know what you're talking about, you won't kill him. The last thing we need right now is you going to jail."

John reluctantly nodded in agreement. "You're right, Dean. I swear all I'm gonna do is talk to him."

Dean accepted John's answer, though he was still skeptical. They headed towards the front of the motel, and Dean was surprised to find that a small, microscopic part of him was actually feeling sorry for the desk manager. _Between Dad and Sam, you're dead, buddy_. He had no more time to think about it as they walked into the front office.

Dean nearly ran into John, who had stopped and was staring at the counter with a dumbfounded look. When Dean saw the reason why, his heart sank. The manager who had checked them in was no longer there. In his place was a girl, maybe a little older than Dean, who was attempting to smile and be friendly with them, but seemed to be a little afraid of John.

"Can I help you?" she asked kindly.

"Uh, yeah." John replied. "The guy who was here a couple hours ago. The one who checked us in. Where is he?"

"Lenny?" she asked. "He asked me to come in because he wasn't feeling well. Is there something I can help you with?"

"When was this?" Dean asked. "When did he call you?"

"I don't think I can really tell you that." She answered. "Why do you need to know?"

"Because my daughter…" John started quickly, before Dean grabbed his arm to stop him. He got himself under control and continued. "My daughter just wanted to tell him goodnight." He said lamely.

"Oh, that's so sweet." The girl said. "What's your daughter's name? I'll pass on the message."

"Evelyn." John said. "They struck up a conversation when I was checking in."

The girl laughed. "That sounds like Lenny. He'd talk to a fencepost if it'd talk back. I'll tell him."  
"Thank you." John said, turning on his heel to walk out, Dean following close behind.

Back in the room, Sam had just hung up with Bobby, who had promised to "break the speed limit" to get there. John and Dean came back inside and told Sam about what they'd found. Sam came to the same conclusion they did.

"That was bogus!" Sam said. "He didn't come to check on us. That's when he took Evy."

"Yeah, I think so too." John answered. "Did you see anything come in the room?"

"No." Sam said. "I just don't get it, dad. There was nothing else except us in here. How did he get in here to take her?"

"Maybe he didn't have to get in here." Dean said.

"What do you mean?" John asked.

"Dad, didn't you say the demon we're looking for can make himself invisible?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, but he wasn't invisible." Sam answered. "We could all see him."

"Maybe it wasn't just him." Dean said. "Maybe he was helping the demon or something. Maybe he distracted us, then the demon snuck in and took Evy."

"But I could see something on the bed." Sam said. "That's why I didn't notice she was gone right away. I could see a lump on the bed. I thought she had just crawled under the covers."

"Maybe he can do that too. Make us see things that aren't there." Dean answered.

Sam looked distraught at what Dean's observation. "Oh, my god. He took her right out from under me. This is all my fault."

"No, son, it's not." John said. "We were all here. It's no one's fault, alright? We'll find her. Now what did Bobby say?"

Sam recapped the conversation for John and Dean together. As he did, he thought about Evy more. He felt helpless, wondering where his baby girl was and if she was okay. _Hold on, Cricket. Please hold on. We're coming for you._


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey. Kid. Wake up."

Evy jolted awake immediately. She'd hoped when she closed her eyes to go to sleep that she would wake up and find that everything had just been a really, really scary dream. Sammy would be there with her, holding her and making her feel better, and everything would be okay. But it wasn't a dream. She was still in the cell, still with the scary man, still all alone. She backed up into the wall as tightly as she could, still holding on to Squish. She watched as the man put a tray of food into the cell.

"I brought you some food." He said.

"I'm not hungry." Evy said.

She was lying, but knew she shouldn't take any food he offered her. The truth was that she was so hungry she felt sick, but she didn't tell the scary man that. She was trying so hard to be brave, to not let him see her scared, but it was getting harder.

"Suit yourself." He said, sitting down in a chair next to the cell.

Evy looked at him and pleaded with him. "Please. I just want to go home!"

"You're never going home." The scary man said again.

Sniffling, Evy tried not to cry as she said, "I want my Sammy." Her attempt to not cry failed, and a single tear slipped down her cheek.

The scary man suddenly got very angry, and Evy gasped when she saw his eyes turn black. She remembered daddy telling her if she ever saw someone with black eyes, to run as fast as she could. That they were a monster. He had called them 'demons', and told Evy they were very dangerous. But Evy had nowhere to run. He had her trapped, and she had nowhere to go.

"I am so _sick_ of your _whining_." The demon said. "It's no wonder your family let us take you."

"That's not true." Evy said, her fear becoming so powerful that she suddenly didn't care whether or not she was crying.

"Think whatever you want, kid." The demon said as he sat back down again. "Just sit down and shut up."

"Why'd you take me?" Evy asked.

"Because I enjoy your company." The demon replied. "And because your family begged me to."

"No they didn't!" Evy practically shouted. "That's not true!"

As much as Evy wanted to believe that it was true, that Daddy, Dean, and Sammy wouldn't give her up, she was beginning to doubt herself. She couldn't see the sunlight, so she didn't know for sure, but it felt like she'd been there for days. Where was everyone? Why weren't they coming to get her? Was it possible they really had….?

"Sit down and shut the hell up. NOW!" The demon suddenly shouted.

Evy had a sudden burst of bravery. "What if I don't?" she asked.

"That's it."

The demon suddenly put his hands through the bars of Evy's cell and concentrated. Before Evy could even wonder what it was he was doing, she felt Squish jerk in her arms. Startled, she loosened her grip on him but didn't let him go completely. A few seconds later, Squish jerked again, and started to pull away from her. Evy did her best to hold onto him, but it was no good. Squish started to fly towards the demon.

"No!" Evy screamed. "No, please! Squish!"

Squish flew into the hands of the demon, who easily ripped the battered cat into two pieces. He seemed to ponder ripping him up some more, but was satisfied when Evy started sobbing at the sight of her broken best friend. The demon laughed, laughed so hard it filled the room, then got up and turned around to leave. Blinded by tears, a sniffling Evy walked up to Squish's remains and picked them up, cradling them in her arms.

"I'm s...sorry, S…Squish." She said between broken cries. "I'm sorry I didn't k..keep you sa…safe like I promised. I love you."

Evy was so upset that she couldn't talk anymore, just held Squish in her arms. She wanted Sammy more than ever before now. She was hurting, and scared, and lonely. But Sammy wasn't there. She was all alone. She was all alone, with not even Squish to keep her company anymore.

"Don't cry, little one."

Evy jumped up again, so scared that she stopped crying. She swallowed and stared for a moment, not sure she was seeing things right.

"Daddy?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So, in this chapter, they discover what exactly it is that took Evy. Please note I made this creature up completely.**

Bobby had pulled up to the motel an hour earlier, and they had all been researching since then. To Sam, the seconds seemed to drag on and on, and he had to fight the urge to tear the entire town upside down. In his mind, he could hear Evy calling out and crying for him, and it made him choke up. _Why couldn't I have just read her the story like she wanted?,_ he thought to himself. _At least she would have been awake and harder to take._

"I think I found it, guys." Bobby spoke from the far side of the room.

Sam, Dean, and John gathered around him, and Sam bit back a sob as he heard Evy's voice in his head. _Read to me, Sammy. Please._

"I think you're dealing with a rintu demon." Bobby continued.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"Well," Bobby said, handing the book to Sam. "He's actually part of a team. The demon's invisible, and no one knows exactly what it looks like. It looks different to different people."  
"Like a shapeshifter?" John asked.

"Sort of." Bobby answered. "Shapeshifters can look the same to a group of people. This demon looks different to everyone who sees it. Sam would see one thing, Dean another, you and me something else."

"Why would it take a kid?" Dean asked. "Why not try for me or dad or Sam?"

"It needs a partner." Bobby answered. "Preferably a kid. Without one, it dies. When the partner gets too old, it helps recruit a new one. It can still possess other people, but it can't live without a consenting partner."

"Then what happens to the old partner?" Dean asked.

"It is, quote, 'disposed of'." Bobby answered.

"So the desk clerk must have been the human partner." John said. "He knocked on the door to…"  
"Oh, my god."

Sam had been reading the lore book Bobby had given him, and now had his hands in front of his mouth. He was crying, and looked at the book as though it would bite him if he touched it with his bare hands.

"What is it, Sam?" John asked.

Sam swallowed hard and read off the page. "A rintu demon recruits its' partners by taking them from their families and…" Sam swallowed again, "…taking away all their hope. He makes them believe that those closest to them no longer care for them or want them in their lives."

"So it's…" Dean started to say.

"Trying to convince Evy that we don't love her or want her around anymore." Sam whispered, the mere prospect of that ridiculous to him.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean exclaimed loudly.

John normally would have reprimanded Dean for strong language, but not this time. John and Evy weren't very close, and that was mostly John's own fault. But she meant more to him than John knew how to express. More than once, he'd come home from a hunt broken, physically, emotionally, or both, and Evy had been the one to lift his spirits. John wanted her back just like Dean, Sam, and Bobby. She was his bright light in the darkness that constantly consumed his life.

"Alright, boys. Here's the plan…."


	6. Chapter 6

Evy hadn't moved in almost thirty seconds. She stared at John with wide, disbelieving eyes. Her tears from seconds earlier over Squish turned into a relieved smile.

"Daddy!" Evy exclaimed. "You came to save me!"

Daddy knelt down in front of the cell and Evy jumped up to run over to him. But when she got to the edge of the cell, and daddy made no move to help her, Evy got scared. Really, really scared.

"Daddy?" she asked, voice shaking. "Daddy, help me. I wanna go home."

"Oh, sweetheart." Daddy said, reaching in through the bars to wipe the tears off her face. "I'm sorry, I'm not taking you with me."

Evy started crying all over again. "Why not?" she asked sadly. "You're leaving me here?"

"I'm afraid so." Daddy answered. "You can't travel with us anymore."

Evy didn't know what to say or do now. So the demon was right, at least about John. He didn't want her anymore. Daddy told her sometimes that he loved her, but Evy had always wondered if he just said that because he had to. He made her feel like she was in the way most of the time, which was why she tried to avoid him and spend her time with Sammy.

"You don't want me anymore." Evy said. She wasn't asking; it was true and she knew it. Why would Daddy lie about something so bad?

"This life isn't good for you, little one." Daddy said.

"Daddy, I'm sorry." Evy said, starting to cry so hard it was hard to breathe. "Please, I promise to stay out of the way. Please don't leave me here."

"No, Evelyn." Daddy said. "You slow us down too much. You're constantly causing trouble and causing us to have to stop to let you catch up with us. The answer is no."

"Daddy…"

Evy started to beg again, until she noticed something. Daddy's eyes weren't the right color. They were black in the middle. Evy gasped and scrambled away from him, towards the middle of the cell and hopefully out of reach.

"You're not my daddy."

Daddy, or who she had thought was Daddy, laughed again. "Very good, you little brat. You're smarter than I thought."

"My daddy told me how to tell if somebody's a monster." Evy said proudly. "You not my daddy." She repeated.

Suddenly, the new demon stopped laughing and smiling and he seemed scared. He looked at Evy as if couldn't understand what she'd just said. Evy didn't know exactly what she'd said to scare him, but she decided to keep trying. She figured out that she didn't have to tell them her name, but she could tell them what her family did.

"My daddy's a hunter." She said. "He'll find me and save me. My brothers too."  
Fear turned to rage and suddenly the demon screamed. "GET IN HERE NOW!"

Evy started to say "I am here", but instead gasped when someone else came inside. It was the demon from before, the one who had run the desk at the motel. Evy was confused; there were two of them? The second demon, the one that looked like Daddy, started to speak and rage at the first one.

"You took a HUNTER'S KID?" he screamed. "What were you thinking?"  
"I…I…I swear I didn't know!" the first demon started to say.

Evy wasn't sure what to say. Just a little while earlier, he'd been teasing Evy and making her cry. Now he seemed afraid. Was he being made to take Evy and do those things to her? If so, maybe if Evy got him alone, she'd be able to convince him to let her go. The second demon grabbed the ear of the first one and said to him,

"You better hope this works, and works fast. Because if they find us and take her, I'll never let you go."

The second demon threw the first one down on the floor and stormed out of the room. Evy watched him go and waited until he was out of the room before saying anything. The first demon pushed himself up and looked at Evy. Evy noticed he didn't look mean this time; he was sad and seemed to want to say sorry. She decided to be nice to him and see if that made a difference.  
"Are you okay?" she asked.

He seemed startled, but answered, "Yeah, kid, I'm okay." He waited a bit before asking, "Aren't you scared of me?"

"You're not a demon now, right?" she asked. "You're eyes aren't black like they were before."

"No." he answered. "No, I'm not a demon. Not right now." He looked at Evy's face for a moment, which was still red and puffy from crying. "My name's Lenny."

"Why are you doing this?" Evy asked. She looked back towards Squish, her heart hurting in her chest. "He was my best friend."

"Sweetie, I'm sorry." Lenny said. "That wasn't really me. You know the demon? The one that was in here and looked like your dad?"

Evy nodded miserably.  
"Well, you see, he can make himself come into me. He can use my body and make me do stuff I don't wanna do. Does that make sense?" Lenny asked.

"I guess." Evy answered. "Why don't you run away?"

Lenny frowned. "I wish I could. You see, he took me when I was about your age. I can't leave him. If I do, I'll die."

"You'll die?" Evy asked quietly.

"Yeah." Lenny said. "Listen, you don't have to tell me your name, okay? But please, tell me this. How old are you?"

Evy hesitated, but whispered out, "Four."

"Yep. That's what I thought." Lenny answered.

"Please, Lenny." Evy begged. "Please help me. Let me go."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Lenny said, and Evy was surprised that she actually believed him. "If I thought you had a chance to get away, I would."

Evy started to cry all over again. Her only hope of getting away was now gone. And she was beginning to doubt whether or not there was anyone coming for her. Lenny bent down to try and tell her something else, before there was another familiar voice.

"Let her go, you black-eyed son of a bitch!"

Evy jumped. "Deanie?"

Dean came from around the corner, seemingly out of nowhere to Evy. He jumped on top of Lenny, beat him unconscious and then turned to Evy. Evy, thinking again that she was being rescued, ran to Dean. She waited for Dean to start trying to figure out how to unlock the cell, but she got scared when Dean made no move to help her. Was this the demon? Was it Dean? How would she know? Dean got down just like the demon had and knelt in front of her.

"Hey, baby girl."

"Deanie?" Evy asked cautiously. "You came to get me right? You gonna take me home with you and Sammy and Daddy?"

"No."

Evy was having a hard time breathing. "Deanie…."

"Listen, baby girl." Dean said. "I'm sorry the demon pretended to be daddy. We thought it would be easier to take coming from dad."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You can't come with us, honey." Dean said. "You're gonna stay here."

Evy finally screamed. "NO!" She pounded her fist against the wall in anger, fear, and frustration. "No, Deanie, please. Please don't leave me here."

"I'm sorry, honey." Dean said. "You can't come with us."  
"Why?" Evy said. She wished she could stop crying, but she couldn't. "You don't want me anymore?"

"Baby, that's not it." Dean said. "This is gonna be better for you. We love you, all of us, we just can't have you with us anymore."

"I wanna go home!" Evy yelled. "I don't wanna stay here."

"No." Dean said simply. "The answer's no"  
"Sammy and uncle Bobby'll want me." Evy said.

"They agree with this, sweetheart." Dean said.

"No." Evy said, shaking her head. "No they don't."

Evy Before Dean could say anything else, Evy walked back over to where Squish's remains were still lying on the ground. She sat down and grabbed the two pieces, pulling them into her arms. She put Squish into her lap and hugged her knees. Squish was sandwiched between her knees and her chest. Evy started rocking side to side.

"You're not real." She said, trying to convince herself. "You're not really Deanie. You not real. You not real."

The demon pretending to be Dean gave up trying. He shook his head and quickly repossessed the body of Lennie, walking out into another part of the building. He hated the fact that he had to have her consent for her to be his partner. He was thousands of years old. He shouldn't have to ask permission from a child to use them. But if he bonded to the kid without her permission, she could kill him. He realized that although Evy was young, she wouldn't be easily fooled. She was smart. So, whatever he did, he had to suck all the hope out of Evy and make her think that her only choice was to come with him. A grin crossed his face.

"Alright. I'll get you, kid."

Back in the cell, Evy was still trying to convince herself that it hadn't been Dean in the cell with her earlier. She just couldn't believe that any of her family would leave her here. Especially Sammy. She knew Sam loved her and would never leave her anywhere, especially somewhere with a monster. But if the demon could make himself look like daddy and Dean, could he make himself look like Sammy too? If so, how would she be able to tell when it was Sammy and when it was the demon? And scariest of all, was Sammy even looking for her? Evy didn't know what to do. She stayed where she was and just continued to cry.

"Help me, Sammy. I need you."


	7. Chapter 7

Sam paced the room for what felt to Bobby like the thousandth time. Bobby had tried to get Sam to calm down, but it was impossible. Bobby couldn't blame him. Sam was the only one who really took care of Evy every day, and Bobby was amazed Sam hadn't fallen apart yet. When Sam looked out the window yet again, Bobby decided to try and get him to talk.

"Sam. Come on, buddy. Sit down."

"I can't, Bobby." Sam argued.  
"Yeah, you can. Come on."

Sam joined Bobby at the table in the room. The sun was just beginning to come up. Sam had put Evy to sleep at 8pm the night before, and it was almost seven now. No one had gotten any sleep at all. As tired as Sam was, all he could focus on was the fact that he didn't know where Evy was or how she was doing. He didn't know if she was tired, sick, scared, hurt, hungry, or, most importantly, safe. He felt as if he wouldn't be able to sleep until she was back with him, safe and sound, cradled in his arms and sleeping peacefully,

"Sam, I know you think this is your fault. It isn't."

"Yes, it is." Sam insisted stubbornly. "Bobby, she was right under me."

"Sam, you didn't know." Bobby said. "She didn't get taken because you weren't doing your job protecting her. You did what you could with what you knew at the time."

"But that didn't stop it, Bobby!" Sam answered, near tears. "She's out there somewhere, alone and scared and maybe hurt or…" Sam stopped himself before he said what he was truly thinking.

"Sam, you can't think like that." Bobby said. "Listen, Baitfish might be little, but she ain't dumb. I think she's gonna be just fine."

There was a long pause before Sam spoke again. "I just keep thinking that she's out there scared, Bobby. What if she's crying for me right now?"

"Then you help me and your dad and Dean find her. And when we do, you grab and hold her and don't let her go until you're both ready." Bobby said.

Before Sam could reply, John and Dean stepped back inside the room. They had left to investigate possible places where Evy was being held. John had insisted Sam stay behind with Bobby. Sam had protested, but eventually relented at John's promise to allow him to come when they found Evy. John had barely closed the door before Sam was on top of him.

"Did you find her, Dad?"

"Sam, give me a little space, son." John said, gently pushing Sam away from him. He placed a map on the table and spread it out, grabbing a marker from out of his pocket. "Alright, this is us." John said, marking an X in the middle of the map that indicated the motel. "Here is an abandoned warehouse," he said as he marked an X on one end of the calendar, "and here is an abandoned prison." John marked an X on the almost exact opposite end of the map. "Alright, those are the two most likely places she's being held. They're the only abandoned buildings in town isolated enough to take a hostage without being seen."

Sam visibly flinched when John said 'hostage', but refrained from saying anything.

"Dean and I are stuck on where to go. If we waste time going to one place and Evy's at the other, we've wasted time. What do you two think?" John asked.

"The prison."

Sam said it so automatically that even he was surprised. John, Dean, and Bobby stared at him, waiting for him to explain his reasoning. Sam gathered his thoughts before talking; his reasons made him feel sick to his stomach.

"He'll underestimate Evy because she's so little, but not by too much. It'll be too easy for her to escape from the warehouse. He'll try to put her somewhere where she won't even try to escape. And if he takes her to the prison, and she does find a way out of whatever cell he's kept her in, she'll have a hard time finding her way out. She'll get lost…."

Sam finally broke down, a sob escaping his throat. He turned away from John, Dean, and Bobby, his stupid pride not allowing him to let them see him cry. He knew his reasons made sense, but he couldn't really explain why he felt so certain of them. All he could think about, all he could focus on, was finding Evy and holding her and never letting her go again. Sam felt a hand on his shoulder and expected to see Dean or Bobby standing behind him. But it was John.

"I think you're right, son." He said simply. "Let's go."

Had the situation not been so serious, Sam would've said "Really?". But he did allow himself to hug John's waist, grateful that John was listening to him. John returned Sam's hug. He wanted to hug him longer, as such close moments between John and Sam were rare now. But the fact remained that Evy was in trouble, and needed them.

"Let's go get your sister, son."

Everyone went outside and piled into the Impala, Bobby and John in the front, Sam and Dean in the back. John raced towards the prison as fast as he could. Sam stared out the window, thinking to himself the entire time _Hang on, baby. Just hang on. We're coming._


	8. Chapter 8

Evy had cried so much that she couldn't anymore, but she still felt miserable. Sick and miserable. She was hungry, cold, and scared. She was starting to believe she'd never see any of her family again, that maybe the demon was right; they didn't care about her, so they weren't coming to get her and take her home. And now she didn't even have Squish to help. Evy was sitting in the same position she'd curled up in earlier, hugging her arms around her knees. The demon hadn't come back, but Evy was too tired to try and find a way to escape. She was startled when someone else suddenly appeared in the middle of the cell.

"Hello, Evelyn."

Evy gasped and jumped, but didn't move from her spot. In the cell with her was a woman, a beautiful woman with long, curly hair, the same color as hers. She was smiling and seemed nice, but Evy was too scared now.

"Who are you?" she asked. "How do you know my name?"

"My name's Missy." The woman explained. "I'm your mommy."

Evy shook her head. "No. You can't be my mommy." Evy wiped her eyes. "My mommy died when I was born."

"That's what your daddy and brothers told you." The woman said.

Evy scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, honey. Your daddy took you away from me right after you were born. He told you I died so you wouldn't look for me."

"No." Evy shook her head and looked away. "No. You're not my mommy. You're not real. Leave me alone."  
"Sweetheart, listen to me." The woman said. "I am your mommy. You don't have to stay here with the demon. But you cannot go back to your father and brothers. You can come stay with me."

Evy looked at the woman sideways long and hard. She did seem nice, and was holding a hand out to take her out of the cell. Evy was afraid to look her directly in the eyes; she was afraid that she'd see the demon's black eyes and find out this was another trick. But she was also afraid that it wasn't a trick. If it wasn't a trick, it meant that Daddy, Sammy, and Dean really weren't looking for her.

"Honey, I know you're scared." The woman said. "It's a scary thing to leave your family. But I promise I'll take care of you…"

When the strange woman reached a hand out and touched Evy's arm, something changed. Suddenly Evy wasn't scared anymore. Her fear and confusion turned into something else. She was mad. Really mad. Madder than daddy had ever been at her. Her stomach started churning, but not like she was sick; it felt like her fear was turning into anger. At only four years old, she didn't know what to call it, but when she felt the hand on her arm, Evy exploded in a fit of rage.

"I SAID NO!" Evy screamed. "I said no! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

When Evy started screaming, the woman backed off in shock. Evy was right, it was the demon; but he wasn't about to tell her that. He enjoyed a challenge. Evy would be his. If it took time, that was alright; he could use Lenny for another two years or so before he became completely useless. Evy would only be six at that time. A little older than he typically liked, but this kid seemed exceptionally smart. She wouldn't take long to train once she gave her consent. Once he had backed away from Evy enough, she scrambled into the corner and pulled herself into a ball again. She heard the demon backing out and leaving.

Once he was gone, Evy returned to her miserable state. She didn't want to admit it, but she was starting to think that maybe the demon was right. Her family didn't care about her anymore. No one did. Even Squish was gone now. She was trying to hold it together, trying to be brave and wait for Sammy to help her, but she was starting to doubt it was ever going to happen. Her heart was broken, and she finally admitted to herself what was scaring her.

"Nobody wants me anymore."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: In this chapter, the boys find out a little more about what's got Evy.**

John prepared to park the Impala, making his mind up as he turned the key to stop the car. John sighed; he knew Sam was going to hate what he was about to do, but John felt it was best for the hunt. John just wished he had had a moment at least to discuss his plan with Bobby and Dean first.

"Wait a minute. Sam."

Sam's hand froze; he had already made a move to open the door.

John turned to face him. "Sam, you need to stay in the car."  
Sam's mouth gaped open. "Dad…!"

"Sam, listen." John said firmly. "You're the newest hunter in this car. If you go in there, you're going to be so focused on finding your sister that you're not going to be focused on finding the demon."

Sam was distraught. "Dad, please…"

"No, Sam." John said sternly.

The look of utter devastation on Sam's face was hard for John to take, but he was thinking of Evy too. Sam had gone on hunts before, and had even taken one solo, but he was too shaken to go on this one. Everyone going in the building right now had to be one hundred percent focused on not only finding and rescuing Evy, but killing the demon and its partner too. If John had to keep an eye on Sam, and he got distracted, it could end up getting Evy or one of them killed. Sam slammed back against the Impala seat. John expected him to start arguing again, but Sam just nodded his head sadly.

"Sam, listen. I swear to you, as soon as we find your sister, we will carry her out of there and bring her to you. Okay?"

"Okay, dad." Sam whispered. He turned back to John, tears trickling down his face. "Please just find her."

"We will, Sammy." John said. "We will."

The three men filed out of the Impala and headed quietly into the abandoned prison. As much as it killed him to admit it, Sam knew John was right. Going inside would distract John, Dean, and Bobby, and that was the last thing any of them needed. It was killing him, though, knowing that Evy was likely somewhere inside this building and he was outside, sitting on his hands, waiting on John and Dean to bring her out.

"I'm here, baby. I'm here."

Inside, John, Dean, and Bobby had split up and were searching the building one room at a time. All three had their guns out, waiting and watching for any sign of the demon or for Evy. Dean was amazed that the building was even still standing. Many of the floorboards were rotted, some of them completely through. There were rats and mice roaming around, some of them alive, some not. The dead rats were creating a stench that made Dean gag. Dean noticed something else too. Most of the rats that were dead had bites taken out of them.

"Dad. Bobby. Look at this." Dean whispered.

John and Bobby both had a similar reactions to what Dean found. A mix of disgust and concern that Evy had been anywhere near these conditions. All three silently moved on, thinking the same thing in the back of their minds. _The rats are either part of his diet or out of necessity_. They cleared a few more rooms before John put his back to the wall and waved furiously for Dean and Bobby's attention. He signaled them that he was about to go in. Quietly he picked the lock, Bobby and Dean looking down each end of the hallway to make sure no one or nothing else was coming. Inside, Dean saw that Lenny the desk manager was sleeping, but he had barely processed this information before John had pulled out his knife, pulled Lenny up into a standing position, and held the knife to his throat.

"You've got five seconds to tell me where my daughter is, you son of a bitch!" John said.

"She's okay. Please, let me go and I'll take you to her." Lenny said, holding up his hands to show he meant them no harm.

"Not gonna happen." Bobby said. "Dean, grab that rope by the door."

At the door was a length of rope, and Dean helped Bobby grab a chair and tie Lenny up in the middle of the room. It seemed to be personal quarters. There was a bed, a couple of books, a sink, and a toilet. Dean noticed another couple of dead rats over in the corner. Only once Lenny was fully secure in the chair did John remove the knife from around his neck. Bobby and Dean flanked John on either side.

"Where's my daughter?" John repeated.

"She's in the solitary cell at the end of the hallway." Lenny repeated. "Last time I checked on her, she was asleep."

"Why did you take her?" Bobby asked.

Lenny sighed. "Because I was ordered to."

"By the demon who controls you?" John asked.

"Yes." Lenny answered.

"How do we know you're not the demon?" Dean asked.

"Test me."

Bobby happily obliged, pulling out a flask of holy water and dumping nearly the entire thing all over Lenny's face. Lenny sputtered and coughed, but otherwise seemed okay. He eyed Bobby with a look of _was that really necessary?_

"Never can be too careful." Bobby said.

"Where's the demon?" John asked.

"I don't know." Lenny answered. "I've never actually seen what he looks like. He only communicates with me when he's possessing me or someone else. Or making himself look like someone else."

"What does that mean?" John asked.

Lenny swallowed hard. "He took me when I was just a little older than your kid is."

Dean snapped, "Her name is Evelyn."

Lenny looked up and smiled. "That's her name, huh? She wouldn't tell me or the demon. That's a pretty name."

"So what's the deal?" Bobby asked. "He took you when you were a kid and what?"

"We share life energy." Lenny explained. "As long as I'm alive, he stays alive."

"So if you're still alive, why does he need her?" Bobby asked.

"Because as you get older, your life energy starts to become less and less. He has less to feed off of. So when he decides that there's not enough, he starts looking for a new partner to bond with." Lenny answered.

"And what happens to you?" Dean asked.

Lenny swallowed and looked at them fearfully. "He sucks all the life energy I have left out. He kills me."

"You've been with him since you were my daughter's age?" John asked.

Dean was surprised at the softer tone in John's voice. But he understood it. Lenny didn't seem to be a bad guy. He was innocent, and seemed to have just been sucked into this life by things he couldn't control. Especially given that he was a child when it happened. Lenny's next request was tough for Dean to stomach.

"Please kill me."

"Why?" Bobby asked. "Tell us how to kill the demon and we'll think about letting you go." When John threw him a _what the hell are you thinking?_ look, Bobby clarified, "I said we'd think about it."

"It's the only way to kill him." Lenny explained. "He's bonded to me. My heart stops beating, he stops living. He hasn't bonded to Evelyn yet. He needs her consent. So as long as you kill me before that happens, it'll kill him." When John and Bobby took a moment to consider it, Lenny decided to sweeten the pot. "Look, it doesn't matter how I die, just that I die. And I'd rather it be a quick gunshot to the head than him sucking all my energy away. That….hurts. It hurts a lot."

John finally nodded his consent. "How will we know for sure the demon's dead?"

"He'll appear behind you for a minute, but he won't be able to do anything. He'll literally drop dead." Lenny explained.

"Alright." John said.

"Wait. There's something you should know." Lenny said. "Evelyn might not want to go with you right away."

"Why not?" John asked.

"It's the way the demon makes kids bond to him. He makes himself look like their family members and tries to convince the kids that their families don't want them anymore." Lenny explained. "He's made himself look like you and you." Lenny pointed his head first to John, then to Dean. "When that didn't work, he made himself into her mother."

"Son of a bitch!" Dean said.

"So she might think we're the demon come back for her." John said.

"Yeah." Lenny explained.

"If you tell her that we're real, will she believe you?" Bobby asked.

"I doubt it." Lenny said. "She's done good resisting him so far, but I think he's breaking her down. She was basically screaming at him earlier. She cried herself to sleep."

John bit back a response. He was grateful Evy was alive, but it sounded as if he should be prepared for anything. John looked to Bobby and quickly nodded. Bobby cocked his gun, and waited a moment as Dean and John stepped out into the hallway. They made their way down the hall, and a few feet from the door, both jumped at the sudden sound of both a gunshot and a loud, banshee like shrieking noise. Bobby fired two more gunshots, then stepped out into the hallway with them.

"They're both gone." Bobby said.

John nodded and proceeded down the hall. They finally found the solitary cell, and walked in slowly. His heart dropped when he didn't see Evy at first. But finally, over in the corner, he spotted her. She was sleeping like Lenny had said. She was holding something in her arms. John walked a little closer and realized that it was Squish. At some point while she'd been there, Squish had been ripped in half. John bent down to take a closer look at Evy's face. She'd been crying, crying a lot. She was clearly exhausted. John turned back to Dean and Bobby and whispered,

"I'm gonna pick her up and carry back to the car." He said.

Dean and Bobby both nodded silently, and John bent down to pick up Evy. His intention had been to let her keep sleeping, put her in the back of the car with Sam, and drive back to Bobby's so she could recover. She didn't appear to be hurt, but they could examine her more closely when they had her in the car. But the second John had his hand around her waist, Evy woke up screaming, kicking, and punching.

"I said no! Leave me alone!"

John was so startled at Evy's reaction that he backed away from her, but not before she got a punch in to his eye. Evy scrambled and buried herself into the corner. John, lost, said nothing as Dean attempted to approach her too.

"Hey, baby girl." He said, extending a hand to invite her to take it. "We came to take you home."

"NO!" Evy yelled, not looking at Dean. "You not real. Don't touch me, leave me alone."

Dean sputtered and started to say something, but was cut off by John. "Dean."

Dean turned back to his father, lost.

"Go back to the car and get Sam."

Dean nodded, and walked out. It killed John as well as Bobby to let her sit in the corner and cry when they were so close, but she was so apprehensive they were afraid to try and even talk to her. Almost three full minutes later, Sam appeared with Dean at the door of the cell. He seemed stunned to see Evy again, but quickly got over that. Dean had told him what happened when John had attempted to pick her up. As much as he wanted to scoop her up and hold her, he knew it would traumatize her more if he did. So instead, Sam sat down on crossed legs a few feet in front of her.

"Cricket?" Sam said. "Cricket, baby, we're here to take you home. Why don't you want to come with us?"

"I do." Evy said, wiping her eyes. "But I'm scared."

"Scared of what, baby?" Sam asked. "Come on, tell me."

Evy finally looked at Sam and Sam fought back his own tears when he got a better look at her. The fear, the pain, and the exhaustion in her face was evident. She looked like she'd been emotionally broken in the twelve hours she'd been away from him. He waited patiently for a minute, but when she didn't answer him, Sam prodded her gently.

"What are you afraid of, Cricket?" Sam asked. "Talk to me, please."

"I'm scared you not real." Evy said.

"Why do you think that, baby?"

Evy slowly relayed the story to him of what had happened since she'd woken up in the jail. Sam wanted to yell, to scream, to pick up Evy and hold her, but he just sat and waited until she finished talking. When she stopped, Sam reached out an arm towards her but didn't move towards her yet.

"Cricket, listen. You said when the demon was pretending to be daddy and Dean, he was telling you you had to stay here, right?"

Evy nodded.

"Sweetie, I promise. We're here to take you home. We're gonna carry you out of here, put you in the car, and head to Bobby's. I swear. You just need to trust me, okay?"

Evy was still scared, but she realized he was right. The demon had been trying to get her to stay. Sammy was trying to get her to leave. That had to mean that he was real. And if he was real, then Daddy, Dean, and uncle Bobby had to be real, too. Sammy wouldn't let a monster be around her.

"We're really leaving?" She asked. "You're not leaving me here?"

"Never, Cricket." Sam assured her. "You listen to me. We will always love you. No matter what. We would never leave you behind. Anywhere."

Evy listened to him, and decided to trust him. "Sammy?"

"Yeah, Cricket?"

"I want to go home." She said, standing up and walking over to him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Sam embraced her into a tight hug. She started crying again, and after a brief hug and kiss from John, Dean, and Bobby, they started moving back towards the car. Sam held onto her tightly, scratching her back and trying to comfort her and tell her that she would be okay. When they climbed into the car, Sam got into the back, still holding onto her. He checked the clock. It was ten in the morning. Sam could hardly believe that Evy had only been missing for fourteen hours. It felt to him more like a week.

No one talked as John drove away back towards the motel. Evy stayed firmly in Sam's lap, still crying. No one turned on the radio to drown her out, just let her cry herself to sleep. Bobby climbed into his truck and started to follow them back towards his house. Sam laid Evy down in the backseat, with her head in his lap, and spread her blanket over top of her. He took a washcloth John kept in the backseat, poured some water on top of it, and gently washed Evy's puffy face.

"You're safe, Cricket." Sam said. "You're safe now. Sleep, baby. Just sleep."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Part of this chapter is lifted from my story Year by Year.**

Evy slept the entire way to Bobby's. When they pulled up in his yard, it was close to lunchtime, but a cranky and exhausted Evy was having none of it. She clung to Sam's neck tightly. Every effort to ask her what she wanted to eat was met with a firm shake of her head. Ten minutes later, the tired but infinitely patient Sam placed Evy on Bobby's kitchen counter. Evy did not want to let him go, but settled for Sam holding her hand.

"Cricket, listen. You haven't eaten in almost a whole day. You need something in your stomach." When Evy shook her head again, Sam asked, "Why don't you want to eat, baby?"

"I don't feel good." Evy said.

"I know." Sam said, hugging her and kissing the top of her head. "I know, sweetie. Listen to me, okay? You don't feel good because you're really tired and you're hungry. Once you get a bath and get some food and some sleep, I promise you'll feel a lot better. Okay?"

Evy said nothing, but she didn't resist this time.

 _Progress_ , Sam thought. He then got another idea. "Hey, Cricket? I bet if you want, while I'm giving you a bath, Bobby'll make those burgers you like so much."

This definitely piqued Evy's attention. She sat up and looked at Sam with a pouting bottom lip. Sam could tell she was thinking over what he'd suggested. After taking a few breaths, Evy asked pitifully,

"With the cheese in the middle?"

Sam smiled and brushed her hair out of her face. They looked to Bobby, who was smiling at both of them.

"You got it, Baitfish."

"There you go." Sam said. "You ready for a bath?"

"Almost." Evy said. She turned towards John. "Daddy?"

"Yeah, little one?"

"I'm sorry I hit you." Evy said. "I didn't think it was you."

John smiled. "It's alright. I'm actually very proud of you for that."

"You are?" Evy asked.

"Yep. You were afraid but you fought back the best way you could. That was very brave of you." John said.

Had Evy not been so exhausted, she would have smiled at that. But she just nodded, and held her arms out to Sam. Sam picked her up and carried her to the bedroom first, where he picked out some clean, warm pjs for her. He gave her a bath, attempting to get her to play by splashing a little and making some extra bubbles. Fifteen minutes later, when he had her dried off and changed, Sam saw more tears were falling down her face.

"Cricket, what is it?" Sam asked as he wiped the tears away from her face.

"I miss Squish." Evy said.

"I know, honey." Sam said.

"It's my fault he's gone." Evy said sadly.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked. He had noticed that Squish was torn apart when he picked her up, but had decided not to ask her about it for fear of upsetting her even further. "What happened to him, baby?"

Evy recounted the story slowly, and Sam bit his tongue to stop form getting angry. He knew about the demon pretending to be John, Dean, and Missy, but destroying Squish made him livid. Evy depended on Squish for comfort and for security, and she looked lost without him. When she finally finished her story, Sam grabbed her into a hug.

"Listen to me." Sam said as he held her. "What happened to Squish was not your fault. You did everything you could do to keep him safe. Understand?"

Evy nodded from under Sam's arms but didn't move.

"Let's go eat." Sam said gently as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Evy whispered.

Sam helped her into the kitchen, where he watched her slowly eat a decent meal of three quarters of a burger and a handful of fries. Though she perked up a little, it was still a long, miserable day for everyone. Evy still clung to Sam, not wanting him to leave her line of sight. When Sam's arms got sore from holding her, he sat her on the couch in Bobby's front room and put on a movie, hoping it would help her fall asleep. She eventually did, and Sam picked her up and moved her to the guest bedroom.

Sam fell into a fitful sleep a little later, keeping one hand around Evy's waist to let her know he was there. He woke up not long after, when Evy started whimpering and kicking in her sleep.

"Cricket, wake up."

Evy didn't wake; she only cried more.

"Cricket!" Sam called when Evy started crying in her sleep. "Cricket, wake up!"

Evy only cried harder.

"Cricket! Baby, come on, please wake up!"

Evy suddenly sat up in bed, startled awake by Sam's shaking her. She realized she was not still in the cell, being held by the demon; she was at Bobby's house, sleeping in his guest room. It was Sam sleeping beside her, not the demon. She reached for Squish to hold him, then remembered why he wasn't there and started crying even harder. Sam grabbed her and held her tight, and Evy just sobbed into his shoulder. Sam tried to reassure her she was okay, that it was just a dream, that she was safe now. But his whole world in the last twenty-four hours had been turned upside down. He had not completely lost the pit that he'd had in his stomach when they'd discovered Evy missing.

"You're safe baby." Sam said. "It's okay, you're safe."

"Sammy." She said mournfully, tightening her hold on his neck. "I want Squish."

"I know, sweetie." Sam said. "I know."

"Hey, baby girl."

Sam and Evy looked in the doorway. Dean stood there, holding one hand behind his back and grinning. Sam had wondered what Dean had been doing all day. He'd buried himself in Bobby's garage and refused to come out. Evy watched him, keeping her head on Sam's shoulder. Dean moved towards her slowly, bending down in front of her and placing one hand on her arm.

"I've got a surprise for you." Dean said gently.

Evy sniffed. "What is it?" she asked, breath hitching in her chest.

Dean pulled his arm out, and Evy gasped. He handed her a stitched up Squish. Evy took him from Dean, turning him over in her hands. Dean had wrapped a piece of gauze around his middle, but otherwise Squish looked the same.

"You fixed him!" Evy said, smiling for the first time since she'd gotten back to them.

"Yep." Dean said. "He just needed some stitching up."

Evy climbed off Sam's lap and grabbed Dean around the neck. Dean embraced her, the thought of her smile from a few seconds ago making his heart flutter in his chest. He hated the fact that she was just as aware of the supernatural at four years old as he had been, so he savored the moments like this when he got to put a smile on her face. He felt Evy kiss his cheek.

"Thank you, Deanie."

"You're welcome, baby girl." Dean said, holding her and rocking her slightly. "Anything for you."

Evy pulled away from Dean and looked at her brothers sadly. She knew she was safe with them now, but she was afraid of another nightmare. She wrapped one arm around Squish and asked,

"Will you both sleep with me?"

"Sure thing, baby girl." Dean said.

He climbed into bed beside Evy, and Sam scooted over, so that he was on one side of the bed, Dean on the other, and Evy was nestled between them. Sam laid back down, and wrapped both arms around her. Evy's thumb slipped into her mouth, something she hadn't done in months. Sam, who had patiently broken her of the habit by silently pulling her thumb out of her mouth when she did it, said nothing, just kissed the top of her head and watched her for a moment. Evy was soon in a deep, peaceful sleep.

"Good night, Cricket." Sam whispered. "We love you."


End file.
